Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-07

4 To the Editor of the Republic:
| All the money l ever paid out of
the treasury as salary to the
trustees was paid before | knew the
law governing their compensation. Not a
cent has been paid since | knew what it
was. One month ago was entirely ig-
norant of the law prescribing the salary Of
trustees, and did not even suspect any
wrong doing. 1t can be seen from the
| Times's statement of the 10th inst. that J.
| NJ Stewart served an entire year as trustee
without knowing the law prescribing his
own salary.
When | was elected township treasurer
| last spring l Immediately examined the
/ law relative TO the duties and compensa-
ton Of my Office. l have faithfully per
| formed my duties according to law. which
was my guide. Ny records are clean. ac
curate and open for inspection. l
presumed that the other officers had
informed themselves of the duties and sal
aries of their respective Offices. and would
be governed accordingly. They held Of
fees superior in rank 10 mine. and their
orders, duly signed according 10 law, were
paid without hesitation. The law gives no
discretion in this matter. Nothing oc-
CURED to call INV attention 10 the amount
of their salary until last month. January ).
| had not drawn a cent of my salary. Oa
January > observed that the trustees
orders were large compared TO what
township treasurer is allowed, he being re-
quired TO give a bond of S35. 900. The
next day calling upon Mr.. Ofutt. township
clerk. / asked him what his salary was: he
replied Sl5O year, and the salary of a
trustee the same. This was the first in
formation ever received on that subject.
Later. hunted up the law governing trus-
tees and for the first time read Sec I. $50,
and footed up the amounts paid trustees as
their salary. Surprised to tind they had
largely overdrawn the Sl5O. wondered if
there was any special provision of law al
lowing extra compensation. Looking back
in the record 1 saw that Joseph Harrison
had drawn still larger sum As trustee the
preceding year. This rather increased my
doubt as to some possible law | had not
found. | decided not TO act unadviSedly.
but to learn with certainty whether after all
the law had been violated. Less than
week after L had first examined the law.
the Times began the investigation of the
trustees accounts. Its iirSt article appeared
January l3.
The next day wrote an article for the
Times. beginning as follows: Your time
ly article, Time TO call halt meets nv
approval eXactly.' etc. | aided the agents
of the Times and other city papers in look
ing over the record to obtain the figures
asked for. whenever the called.
have never al any time, in any way,
public or private. stated that | knew what
the law was as TO the salary of trustees.
nor can any evidence whatever be brought
to bear 10 that effect. The only published
utterance | have ever made concerning it,
was in my article of January Is, above re-
ferred To. where | said the writer thought
there was too much money paid out on that
line. Yet did not know but that there ought
to be some special provision in the law TO
meet the case of populOus townships, hav-
ing noticed the amount of orders paid TO
those formerly in office"
My opinion was modified by this doubt,
even after | read the law for the first time.
! less than a month ago. There is, therefore,
no possible excuse for the utterly false
statement of the Timcs that | was criminal
ly cogniZant that the law was being violated
and c0nniyed al it, In view of all the facts
l demand III the name OF Justice what pos
slble motive can the Times have i'll cOm-
pairing me 10 a burglar. There was no eX-
cuse for such statements and comparisons
at any time.
In justice to the Times, desire 10 say in
speaking of palliaton. the Times labors
under mistake in suppoSing il referred "a
| it. But, 10 my mind, the nsinuation con-
cerning the ignorance OF the men elected
last spring is plain enough in its issue of
the 18th ult.: il referred 10 them as ''Ob-
scure," unknown" totally untried in
public lfe," and TO their mistakes"
mistake suggests ignorance. Besides, the
! Times lectured the treasurer superfluously
aS to his duties in lis Issue of the Goth Inst.
| am in favor of justice and a proper en-
! forcement of law. Law is not always JUS
tice. | believe that section 1880 ais for
amendmenttO to suit populouS townships.
i am as much opposed Ia severity toward
selected victims as | am 10 palliation OF real
wrong. Cuprejudiced minds will properly
judge of distorted criticisms, and | am will
ing to abide their Judgment.
have not claimed that ignorance of the
law excuses any man.
But it does not apply to me. / have not
violated any law whatever, and do not re-
quire excuse.
The law does not demand that every Of
ficer should be lawyer, knowing all the
statutes of Ohio, but only what pertains to
his office.
| have not Overdrawn my salary, and no
one says so. | have drawn only 500 in
all. and more is due me according to law.
II the logic of the Times were correct it
would include many county and township
treasurerS of the last fifteen years in its list
of ignOramuses and burglars.
ID. NJ BURNS.